Hip frame



y 5, 1956 L. o. SALHUS 2,745,106

HIP FRAME Filed June 28, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY-5" United States Patent HIP FRAME Lena 0. Salhus, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 28, 1953, Serial No. 333,690

2 Claims. (11. 2-215 This invention relates to a ladys hip frame and more particularly to a pair of light-weight frame members which are adapted to lend a smart and pleasing angularity to outer garments worn thereoverr It is an important object of the invention to provide for a hip frame device which is designed to be conveniently worn about the waist with dual shelving or boxing members directly and oppositely positioned upon the sides of the hips. 7

It is another. object of the invention to provide for a pair of shelving membersforjangulating the contours of a dress at the hips, and having cooperative adjustment for encircling the waist of the' wearer, while boxing the upper opposite side portions, the shelving members serving to uniformly contact at their lower and outermost peripheral edges the side contours of various shaped hips and the waist portion serving to maintain theshelving members oppositely disposed regardless of the waist measurement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for a device of the class described which is so designed and constructed as to be light and comfortable while still firmly supporting the angulated hip lines of a wearers dress in a pleasing and esthetic mannenand with flexible conformance to the hips while the wearer stands, sits, kneels or walks. 7

It is a still further object to provide for a hip frame device which will be cheap and simple to manufacture yet giving a sculptured shelf appearance to a dress worn thereover which appearance, without my device, cannot be fully attained alone by a plurality of conventional petticoats or pads, and yet which will of itself be light and comfortable while actually minimizing the need for heavy or stiff etticoats.

My device is not intended to be a bustle, which was a heavy form used extensively .in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Such bustle devices were pads or forms used to accentuate and develop the natural curves of the hips. The device was intendedto be disposed underneath a dress or within it and usually comprised a single pad positioned over the buttocks of the wearer, sometimes extending around to the sides, but always being of a contoured nature such as to simulate exaggerated curves. My device, on the other hand, is intended not to develop or supplement the natural curves of the buttocks but rather to add a stylish-and graceful angulation' unsuggestive of natural hip lines to the dress itself. I have been able, on many occasions, to give new and une o pe'cted vitality to an old party dress or to one which in its natural form is drab and uninteresting. Since the angulation is created only at the opposed sides of the dress, I find it ordinarily necessary only to shorten at the front the hem of a loosely flowing dress or gown in orderto multiply greatly its style appeal when used in conjunction with my hip frame.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying draw- 2,745,106 Patented May 15, 1956 "ice ings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my hip frame showing the shelving members in relative position with the waist band unhooked at one side;

Fig. 2 shows my'hip frame device in adjusted position conforming to the dimensions and contours of the hips of a wearer. A portion of one the shelving members is broken away to better show the internal structure thereof and the hip portions'of the wearer are shown in dotted line;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged segmented vertical section of the angulated juncture of one shelving member taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. l, certain hidden portions thereof being shown in dotted line;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the eye portion of one of the adjustments in the waist band; and

Fig. 5 shows an end portion of one of the fastening elements of the waist band.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the hip frame generally comprises a waist band 10 which may be constructed of cloth or elastic material and is so designed as to be uniformly expandible to prevent the sides from being positioned in unopposed relation. I prefer to use adjusting means such as a forward fastening connection 11 and a rearward fastening connection 12. Each of the fastening connections preferably comprises a series of eyes 13 disposed in spaced relation along an oven lapping end portion 14 of the waist band 10 and adapted to cooperate selectively with one of the hooks 15 which is secured to the overlapping end 16. Details of the arrangement of eyes 13 are shown in Fig. 4 and details of the hook 15 are shown in Fig. 5. In order to accomplish the uniform expansion of the waist band the eyes 13 are so arranged that the wearer may select the relatively numbered eye such as the second at both the back and the front.

At each side of the waist band is disposed a shelving or box member 17, the shelving member 17 in turn comprises generally a top shelf 18 and an upright side wall 19. The top shelf 18 is preferably fastened in a naturally curved juncture 20 to the lower edge of a side portion of the waist band It The top shelf terminates outwardly in a curved edge 21. The top shelf 18, as well as the upright wall 19, may be constructed of a stiff and light material such as buckram or crinoline. The top shelf 18 may be further reinforced by parallel stitching 22 which will form a closed channel 23 for receiving a stay member such as a strip of featherbone. The top shelf 18 is flexible and is adapted to be curved in one plane so as to arch the stay 23 and form a smooth curvature from the forward edge of the shelf to the rearward edge thereof. Conversely, the plane will be unbent in its sideway extension. The upright wall 19 is preferably formedof the same material as the top shelf 18 and joins therewith at the outer edge 21 to form an angulated juncture. The stitching therearound may be formed in parallel manner so as to create another channel 24 for the insertion 'of an edge stay 25 as shown in Fig. 3. The upright wall 19 has a lower peripheral edge 29 which is so curved as to conform to the natural contours of the body torso indicated generally by the letter B in Fig. 2. The layers of material forming the upright wall may have double stitching layers 26 to form longitudinal channels for upright says 27 as shown in Fig. 3. These stays are formed in spaced relation and are substantially parallel one with the other as shown. The upright wall 19 is likewise bent in one plane so as to curve smoothly from the forward portion of the angulated juncture 21 to the rearward portion thereof, the plane being unbent in a direction normal to the juncture. It will be noted that the relationship of the top shelf 18 and upright wall 19 is such as to define an upper and a lower bowed portion. The upper bowed portion presents an upper curved surface lying substantially parallel to an axis extending outwardly and clownwardly from the waistband and contained within a vertical plane transversely bisecting the upper bowed portion. The lower bowed portion presents a curved outer surface lying substantially parallel to an axis contained within the vertical plane and intersecting the first mentioned axis.

When in use, the wearer will select the appropriate eyes 13 in which to place the corresponding books 15 so as to dispose the shelving members 17 in directly on posed relation to the side of her hips as shown in Fig. 2. When thus disposed, the top shelf 18 and the upright wall 19 will both bend from the forward portion to the rearward portion and will also bend in angular relation to a slight degree at the angulated juncture There will, however, be no bending in a lateral direction in either of the top shelf 13 or the upright Wall 19 and the silhouette of the shelving members as viewed in Fig. 2 will appear as a straight line 27 at the upper surface of the top shelf 18 and the straight line 28 along the upright wall 19.

Each of the shelving members 17 has been so designed and constructed that the peripheral edge 25 will form a continuously contacting edge with the contours of the hip regardless of the size or shape of the hip itself. For purposes of proportion, however, I prefer to provide several different sizes of frames. My hip frames are very light and strong and because of the continuous contact by the edge 29 will cause no discomfort to the wearer.

A gown or dress having full and flowing lines may then be placed over the hip frame and the sides thereof will be angulated in a pleasing and esthetic manner. It is usually necessary only to make slight alterations in the length of a conventional gown when using it in conjunction with my hip frame.

It will be noted that the waist band is flexible and that the peripheral edges 25 of the shelving members will flex so as to conform to the contours of the hips whether the wearer is standing, sitting, kneeling or walking. In all instances, the peripheral edge 25 will maintain a uniform but light contact with the sides of the hips and will not, under any circumstance, cause discomfort to the wearer. Since the shelving members are porous and light, they will not cause discomfort from the heat.

but will maintain and hold a dress or gown in its proper position even though the latter be constructed of heavy material.

It may thus be seen that I have devised a novel and useful device which will lend a pleasing angularity to a dress or gown and which will be cheap and simple to manufacture yet being comfortable at all times during the wearing thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A frame for angulating the hip lines of a gown at opposed sides thereof comprising, a flexible waistband, a pair of shelving members of stiff material secured in spaced depending relation to the waistband, each of said shelving members being provided with an upper bowed portion extending downwardly at its forward and rear terminal portions and having a concavely arcuate inner edge secured along said waistband and adapted to engage the waist of a wearer and a convexly arcuate outer edge having common terminal points with said inner edge, said upper bowed portion presenting an upper curved surface lying substantially parallel to an axis extending outwardly and downwardly from the waistband and contained within a vertical plane transversely bisecting said upper bowed portion, a lower bowed portion in each of said shelving members having an upper edge joined to the outer convex edge of the upper bowed portion coextensively therewith, a stay member extending along the juncture of said upper and lower bowed portions, said lower bowed portion having a curved outer surface lying substantially parallel to an axis contained within said vertical plane and intersecting said first mentioned axis and extending downwardly and inwardly from said point ofintersection, said lower bowed portion having a lower curved peripheral edge adapted to continuously contact the side of a wearers hip when worn, and stays extending between the upper and lower edges of said lower bowed portion.

2. A frame for angulating the hip lines of a gown at opposed sides thereof comprising, a flexible waistband, a pair of shelving members of stiff material secured in spaced depending relation to the waistband, each of said shelving members being provided with an upper bowed portion extending downwardly at its forward and rear terminal portions and having a concavely arcuate inner edge secured along said waistband and adapted to engage the waist of a wearer and a convexly arcuate outer edge having common terminal points with said inner edge, said upper bowed portion presenting an upper curved surface lying substantially parallel to an axis extending outwardly and downwardly from the waistband and contained within a vertical plane transversely bisecting said upper bowed portion, a lower bowed portion in each of said shelving members having an upper edge joined to the outer convex edge of the upper bowed portion coextensively therewith and having a stiffened juncture therebetween permitting some flexing between said forward and rear terminal portions, said lower bowed portion having a curved outer surface lying substantially parallel to an axis contained within said vertical plane and intersecting said first mentioned axis and extending downwardly and inwardly from said point of intersection, said lower bowed portion having a lower curved peripheral edge adapted to continuously contact the side of a wearers hip when worn, said lower bowed portion having a stiifened structure in a direction extending between the upper and lower edges thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 22,875 Hull Feb. 8, 1859 400,424 Allen Apr. 2, 1889 630,045 Gaisman Aug. 1, 1899 2,469,855 Cohen May 10, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES The Language of Fashion Dictionary-Mary Brooks Picken: 1930-page 78. (Copy available in Div. 24.) 

